Video Critique – Charlotesville in Turmoil

This video, uploaded to Twitter by a potential counter-demonstrator in Charlottesville, and picked up by the online site for The Guardian, is a very effective depiction of the anger, frustration, fear and impotence felt by the crowd when a self-declared white supremacist drove his car into the crowd, resulting in at least one confirmed death and more than 19 injured.

The owner of the cellphone that captured the video seemed to be recording the counter-march, when s/he is clearly surprised by the roar of the Dodge Charger’s engine as it speeds past. The videographer manages to stay focused, and captures the scene when the car accelerates into the denser part of the marchers. While there are screams and panic, the audio captures a woman as she yells obscenities at the driver, and the anger, fear and frustration can be clearly heard.

Finally, the car is seen speeding back in reverse, bumpers damaged and dangling from its body, as evidence of the terror and tragedy of the event. This is raw footage taken by a bystander, and much more effective than any news report in transmitting the feelings the horrific event created.